Our Community

The Department of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery provides learning opportunities to the community through our outreach programs.

Our Impact

A group of children gathered around a computer, intently observing the screen together.

Heartwheels! STEM Mobile Outreach

Heartwheels! STEM Mobile Outreach was created by faculty members Gretel Monreal, associate professor of the Department of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery and Steven C. Koenig, professor and Endowed Chair of the Department of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery and Department of Bioengineering. Heartwheels! is an innovative educational program aimed at taking a portable version of Monreal's and Koenig's cardiovascular laboratory, the Advanced Heart Failure Research (AHFR) Program, out into the community. 

A group of young people in a classroom, wearing blue gloves, examine a biological specimen on a tray.

Pulse of Surgery

We initiated the Pulse of Surgery program with the Kentucky Science Center several years ago to teach young students about the field of cardiology. Every Wednesday during the school year, we perform live heart surgery with high school and middle school students in attendance at the Kentucky Science Center. Students learn about heart disease, potential professions and future jobs in the health care field. We have had over 5,000 students participate, many of whom were influenced to go to medical school.